


Too Much Will Kill You

by Tea4T



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Car Accidents, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Hanahaki Disease, M/M, Major Character Injury, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-16
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-06-28 11:10:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15706041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tea4T/pseuds/Tea4T
Summary: A major car accident has left both Shiro and Keith in rough shape. Although, with the help of their friends, they are able to get back on their feet.  Unfortunately for one friend, the help comes at a great cost.





	1. Preface

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Yes I know I have a few stories on the go right now but I have been thinking about this one for a while now and since I have my laptop back I can actually type out what I hand wrote!  
> Anyway, the story is based on the Queen song called Too Much Love Will Kill You! So give that a listen while you read!  
> I hope to get this story up and out of the way so I can focus on the other ones again!  
> Thank you for stopping by and please enjoy!

_Blooming Lungs_ some called it others referred to it as _Garden heart,_ and a few named it _The Flower’s curse_. Nowadays the condition is called Hanahaki Disease. It is a terrible and painful disease the only affects a few those with an enlarged heart could succumb to the illness after the age of eighteen only if they were plagued with the hardship of unrequited love. Once that was established the person would start to suffer from chest pains of varying degree and they will only worsen over the span of a couple of weeks.

Soon the pain will spread to the throat, shortness of breath and coughing fits will follow. After roughly four weeks, flower petals will accompany the increased fits. Eventually, blood will appear as the flowers take root in a person’s lungs. Veins, leaves and thorns – depending on the flower – are sure to follow behind quickly. By this point, a person will be in immense pain and breathing will be difficult. Within two to three weeks– depending on the flowers– the person will be hospitalized with the possibility of needing oxygen. The flowers will consume the patient’s energy as they continue to grow and slowly suffocate its host.

A person with Hanahaki Disease has never survived for more than a year without receiving treatment. Unfortunately, there are only two options available at the current time. The first and most preferred method is to have the love returned in any capacity; the flower will recede quickly and naturally with little to no damage to the host body. The other choice is less than ideal. The patient can have the flowers surgically removed; however, there are many risks and side-effects. If the person receives the surgery when the disease is in the last stages, their chances of dying are heightened. Sever scaring, trouble breathing and heart palpitation may also linger post procedure. The most concerning and permanent side-effect of the surgery is the inability for one to feel and show any form of romantic affection for another person. While one of the two options have resolved many cases, some chose to give into the flowers and pass with love in their hearts.

The flowers that take root in one’s lungs vary from person to person and from situation to situation. They come in a range of colours, styles and sizes. A person suffering for the disease with large flowers such as peonies typically pass away faster than those with small ones, like forget-me-nots. Creeping vines and throne flowers are harder to remove and leave behind more scarring and other problems than the other types. Every plant will represent the person’s love interest in one form or another. They could be the favourite colour, flower and smell of the host’s love. They type of affection felt by the host may also play a role in the development of a particular flower. The limits and combinations are almost endless and in some rare cases make it almost impossible to decipher.

Doctors and family members often notify those who suffer from an enlarged heart. Although, that is not always the case. Some parents do not want to scare their child into thinking they are never allowed to love for fear of one day dying painfully. Other’s wait until they are old enough to understand. Many of those suffering from Hanahaki Disease are aware of their disadvantage by the time they are of age but there are a few who are blissfully unaware of their inevitable fate.


	2. Chapter 1: too many tears raining down on me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been edited now, so I'm hoping that there are no more mistakes, but if there are, please let me know!

Lance woke up with fright at the shrill shrieking of his obnoxious ring-tone. Rolling away from cuddling with his long-term girlfriend Nyma, he quickly searches for the phone.

“Honey, why did you set an alarm? It’s the weekend,” Nyma grumbled beside him as she rolled over and buried her head in her pillow.

It took Lance a couple more seconds to locate the screaming object, “Sorry Ny, I’ll shut it off,” he replied softly before looking at the screen. The phone was flashing Matt Holt’s name along with his dorky contact photo from that one anime con they went to. The call ended before Lance even had a chance to answer it. _That’s odd_ he thought, _it’s 2:30 am on a Saturday, why would Matt be calling?_ Lance was about to brush it off at a pocket dial or a drunk call because that has happened on occasion, but the phone rang again. Lance scrambled to answer it this time.

“Hello? Matt why-" Lance was quickly cut off by Matt’s teary and rushed voice.

“Lance, please you need to come to the hospital. It’s Kashi… there was an accident. I don’t understand what happened. Oh my god. I– I– Lance please,” It was difficult to understand Matt through his tears, but Lance could tell that something was obviously wrong by his panicked tone.

“Matt, Matt, slow down,” Lance said calmly as he left the bedroom and made his way toward the kitchen, “what happened?” he asked gently. He waited patiently for Matt to gain his composure enough to fill him in on the situation.

Matt sniffled a little, cleared his throat and took a deep breath before trying to talk again, Lance, Shiro and Keith were in an accident… Their car was totalled. They’re at St. Altea Hospital. All I know is that both were rushed to surgery, the nurses won’t tell me anything else!” Matt’s voice started to wobble again.

Lance stood there in his kitchen shocked by the news. How could this happen? Shiro was the safest driver he knew! Even Keith, although reckless sometimes was a save driver. Lance was brought back to reality by the sound of Matt starting to cry again. His heart clenched at the noise. “Matt,” Lance started softly trying not to cry too. “Please tell me someone is there with you. You shouldn’t be alone right now,” He said as calmly as he could but it was becoming difficult to keep the tears at bay.

More sniffles could be heard from the other side, “K-Katie’s here with me.” Matt sucked in another shuttered breath, “She called Allura a few minutes ago for me because I’m a disaster. She said that she would call Hunk on her way to get us some coffee.”

“Okay, good. I’m just going to change then grab my keys okay. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes alright. Lance replied as he hurried back to the bedroom to change.

“Thank you, Lance. Allura can’t make it till later and I don’t want Katie and I to be alone,” the relief and sincerity that coloured Matt’s voice even through the sniffled and soft hiccups.

“I’ll do anything for you and Pidge, Matt,” Lance said softly, “I’ll see you soon okay.” After they said their goodbyes Lance quickly switched his pyjama shorts for jeans and threw on a plain baseball shirt and a sweater.

Nyma stirred a little at the sound of Lance moving around. She opened her eyes slightly as he pulled open his sock drawer. “Hhmm, Lance, honey what’s going on?” Her voice was groggy and still laced with sleep. Lance jumped in surprise at the sound of her question.

Lance took a short breath before sitting down on the edge of the bed by Nyma to put his socks on, “sorry I didn’t mean to wake you up. I was going to leave a note,” he got up and moved over to give Nyma a kiss on the temple, “that was Matt. I have to go to the hospital. Something happened to Shiro and Keith.” He gave her hand a squeeze.

Nyma hammed in response before the words really sunk in, then it clicked, “What! Do you need me to go with you? What happened?” She gasped sitting up so fast that she almost hit Lance.

Lance started tearing up again, “I don’t know. Matt said there was a car accident but that’s all he knows,” he let go of Nyma’s hand so he could put both of her shoulders; “I’m going to go, could you stay for now. I don’t want to crowd Matt okay. Maybe, you could bring us food or drinks a little later in the morning that would be helpful.”

Nyma drew Lance into a hug, “of course hun. Just let me know what everyone wants okay and please keep me in the loop on their conditions okay.”

As they pulled away Lance shifted his hands from Nyma’s shoulders to cup her face gently, “I will” he said then place a kiss on the top of her head, “Love you,” he whispered. He didn’t trust his voice to go any louder without crying.

“Love you too,” Nyma replied as Lance walked out of the room. She could hear him almost running down the hall and out the door. She really hoped that everything was going to be okay because his calmness was worrying her.

~~~~

Lance was at the hospital in record time- probably as a result of him driving at least ten kilometres over the posted speed limit. He found parking on a side street around the corner from the main entrance which was a blessing. As Lance raced toward the emergency room waiting room area he grew more and more impatient with every automatic door he came across. They opened too slowly in his opinion which meant that he slipped through each one before they were fully open.

It didn’t take Lance long before he was bursting into the waiting room. His eye roamed over the row and pockets of chairs and couches, “Matt! Matt!” Lance called out searching for his friend’s auburn locks, “Matt!” Soon enough he spotted a person with shorter auburn hair that stuck out in every direction. Lance moved quickly toward the shaking person, the closer he got the cleared he could hear their small whimpers.

Once he was in front of them Lance cooed softly, “oh Pidge, honey, come here.” He extended his arms out toward his friend and Matt’s little sister. His voice startled her at first but after a moment she launched herself into his embrace.

Pidge burst into more tears as she squeezed Lance’s waist tightly. The only thing Lance could do was rub her back and whisper kind words into her hair, “shhh… it’s okay. Everything is going to be okay,” Lance’s voice was soft and reassuring. He let Pidge cry for a little while longer before asking where Matt was and if he was okay.

Pidge pulled away from Lance a little but still having one hand touching him. He was the grounder that she needed at the moment. She sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes, “He’s a mess, but he’s okay for the most part. He just went to the washroom.”

Lance slid his hand down Pidge’s arm to grab the hand that was still around his waist, he held it tightly trying to comfort her as she kept talking. At the same time, Lance slowly reached for the tissue box on the small table right beside him. He handed one to Pidge as she was telling him about calling their friend Hunk.

“I called him twice – thanks– before he finally answered,” She paused to wipe her nose, “after he finished crying he said that he would be here in a few hours. He needed to calm down before he drove over. I think he said that he was going to bake a little,” Pidge explained the phone call as Lance directed her to sit down again.

As they sat there together in semi-silence waiting for Matt to return Lance gently rubbed the back of Pidge’s hand with his thumb every so often. A few small tears made their way his cheeks, but he wiped them away quickly. Lance knew that he had to be strong for his friends, he could cry more a little later.

Matt finally appeared not long after Lance arrived. His eyes and nose were red from crying and tear tracks could be seen glistening under the hospital's awful fluorescent lights. Matt’s hair was just as messy as his sisters, most likely from the stress of the events. He was wearing sweatpants, an old faded grey “NASA” shirt and one of Shiro’s zip-up hoodies. When he spotted Lance sitting calmly beside his sister Matt’s eyes watered again, “Lance,” he cried dashing toward him.

Lance stood up at the sound of his name; at the sight of Matt rushing toward him he spread out his one free arm. Lance refused to let go of Pidge’s hand. Matt threw himself onto Lance that same way his sister did but with enough force to send Lance stumbling back a little.

Matt wrapped his arms around Lance’s neck and sobbed into his shoulder; “Lance, why did this have to happen?” he whined. Lance tried his best to calm Matt down by rubbing his back, but it wasn’t working well, “what if he’s in a coma? What if he died! What about Keith? Oh god, what if-“

“Hey!” Lance cut off Matt’s rambling, “don’t think like that. We don’t know what their conditions are yet, but we need to stay positive okay,” his own voice was getting watery now. Lance felt Matt nod slightly before letting out a deep breath. He gave Matt a good one arm squeeze while also give Pidge’s hand one too.

They broke apart at the sound of someone clearing their throat. All three of them looked over to see a male nurse standing a few feet away from them with a clipboard in hand. “I’m looking for a Mr. Matthew Holt,” the nurse’s voice was deep and gruff. His red scrubs were harsh under the lights and clashed with his green eyes.

Matt stepped forward, “that’s me. Is everything okay? Are they okay? Can I see them now?” Matt asked in rapid succession. The nurse blinked a few times, it seemed that he was not expecting so many questions at once. Lance could tell for the dark shadows under his eyes that the man was just as tired and stressed as the rest of them. Working in a hospital must be exhausting.

“I’m sorry sir, I just need to ask you a few questions before I can release that information,” the man waited for Matt to respond and when he got a soft ‘okay’ he continued, “What’s your relation to Mr. Takashi Shirogane and Mr. Keith Kogane? And what about the others with you tonight?”

Matt held onto Lance’s hand as he replied, “I’m Takashi’s fiancée. Keith is his adoptive brother, so he’ll be my brother-in-law soon. This is my sister Katie Holt,” He gestured toward her in the chair then he motioned to Lance who was still standing beside him, “and this is Lance McClain, his our best friend and emotional support. We need him.”

The nurse nodded along while checking the papers on his clipboard. “Okay, that’s fine. I understand he can stay. Now as for the two patients, they just got out of surgery and are being moved to a shared room as we speak. The doctor will be here down in a few minutes to go over the details, but I will let you know that both have been stabilized and are doing well.” The man glanced at his notes once more to make sure he didn’t miss anything, “Please sit tight for just a little longer the doctor will come to get you okay,” his voice softened as he watched Matt visible relax at the news.

Matt took a deep breath, “okay, thank you for the information.” He took a seat right beside Pidge and grabbed her other hand. She leaned over to put her head on his shoulder and let go of Lance’s hand to wrap hers around Matt’s Pidge whimpered again bringing Lance’s gaze back down to look at the two Holt siblings. They both looked small and tired sitting like that. Lance’s heart clenched at the sight.

Just as the nurse turned to walk away he spotted a woman in a long white lab coat walking toward them, “speaking of the doctor, there she is,’ he commented. Both Pidge and Matt shot up out of their seats and scrambled to grab hold of Lance again. Matt had his left hand while Pidge had his right arm.

“This is Dr. Gorvett. Doctor this is Mr. Shirogane’s partner Matthew Holt, his sister Katie Holt and their friend and moral support Lance McClain,” The male nurse pointed to each person as he introduced them.

“Thank you, Clark, you can go home now. Your shift has been over for ten minutes,” Dr. Gorvett said kindly, giving him a gentle smile. She turned back to the group after Clark left. Although before she could even start her report Matt bombarded her with the same question that he used on Nurse Clark earlier, the doctor waiting calmly for him to finish.

Dr. Gorvett gave them all a soft smile, “both of them are okay now Mr. Holt. To be honest, though, it was a little touch-and-go with Mr. Shirogane due to some internal bleeding, but he was a trooper and pulled through just fine. During the accident, Mr. Shirogane sustained a massive impact to the right side of his body. Most likely from when the vehicle rolled. As a result, his right arm was completely broken.”

Matt sucked in a breath as the doctor explained Shiro’s injuries in detail. His grip on Lance’s hand tightens just enough to draw his attention. They briefly made eye contact when Lance returned the gesture. Lance mouthed ‘it’s going to be okay,’ before bringing his attention back to the doctor.

“As for Mr. Kogane, he has a broken femur, a couple of broken ribs, along with some bruising and a large gash on the right side of his face. Aside from those injuries, both are suffering from major concussions.” Dr. Gorvett stopped to review her notes and allow for Matt and his guests to process the information. Pidge started sniffling again, and Matt soon followed. Both let go of Lance to hold onto each other again, while he wrapped an arm around their shoulders.

The doctor gave them all a minute to themselves. She understood the type of shock news like that would bring. They were all so young to be going through something like this alone. Dr. Gorvett had noticed when she was going through her patient’s files that both had no living relative other than each other. The closest thing they had to a family was the Holt’s and their friends. She was happy that Nurse Clark had allowed for Lance to stay with the Holt siblings. Usually, Clark was a stickler for protocol, but he must have understood the situation to note that they would need the moral support. As Dr. Gorvett looked up from her notes, she made eye contact with Lance.

“Excuse me Dr. Gorvett, when will we be able to see them,” Lance asked politely.

“You may see them now actually,” Dr. Gorvett replied. She motioned for all of them to follow her, something they did eagerly. The doctor led them to the elevator where they waited in almost complete silence save for the beeps indicating each floor that they passed by. Finally, they arrived at the fifth floor; the three of them stumbled out of the elevator behind the doctor as she slowly made her way down the hall. The Holt siblings were clinging to each other, and Lance kept a gentle hand on Pidge’s shoulder. It felt like an eternity before Dr. Gorvett stopped in front of the eighth door. “Now,” the doctor’s voice was kind but stern, “neither are awake at the moment because of the anesthetic and their brain activity is fine so they will wake up once everything wears off. However, with that being said, I would like you to inform me or a nurse as soon as they do.” Lance let out a deep sigh of relief at the news.

“Also, you may stay as long as you want for today, but by tomorrow you will only be allowed to stay during visiting hours okay,” Dr. Gorvett said, and with that, she opened the door and showed them in. She soon bid them good night and left.

Matt burst into tears again at the sight of Shiro and Keith lying quietly on their beds. The severity of their injuries was now in full view for everyone to see. Shiro was resting in the first bed, the cover neatly tucked in around him. He was sporting a full arm cast, and a few small cuts littered his cheeks. Keith was on the other side of the room on the bedroom closest to the window. Although they couldn’t see it directly, they all knew that he had a full leg cast. A large bandage covered most of his right cheek and neck. Both were worse for wear, but they at least looked at peace sleeping there.

The daze that Lance found himself in at the entrance way was broken by the sound of Matt’s voice, “Oh Kashi,” he whispered softly and carefully held onto Shiro’s left hand, “how did you get yourself all banged up like this?” Matt brushed Shiro’s fringe to the side and gave him a light kiss on the forehead. After that, Matt took a seat in the chair right beside the bed. Pidge joined him but stood on the other side so that she was between Shiro's and Keith’s beds. She studied both with a tearful smile. She was happy to see that they were okay for the most part. Pidge took a seat in the small chair that was squished in between the two beds; which was close enough that she was able to rest a hand on both beds.

Lance quickly found another chair in the corner of the room and quietly moved it to the only open spot left by the beds. Which was beside Keith. Lance didn’t mind though. His and Keith friendship had been getting better since he decided to drop the “rival” attitude toward him. As Lance got comfortable in his seat he studied Keith almost intensely, the bruises that dotted his face in varying shades of purple and yellow looked painful. But they did not stop Lance from noticing how Keith looked much younger and smaller as he slept. Drawing his gaze away from Keith’s long eyelashes Lance could see that the panic induced adrenalin was starting to wear off of Matt and Pidge as their eyelids slowly dropped. Soon enough both were out like a light.

Following their lead Lance slouched back in his seat; he shoved one hand in the pocket of his jacket and left the other one on the bed just in case. Lance didn’t last ever a couple more minutes before he drifted off into a light sleep.

~~~~~

For the second time that night Lance as abruptly awakened, however, this time it was not caused by the shriek of his phone but by the softest touch of warm fingers on his cold hand. He looked over to see that Keith’s hand had moved and now lightly butted up against his. _The drugs were probably almost out of his system by now. He should be waking up soon_ , thought Lance. He looked up at the door to see if maybe a nurse was passing by, but he didn’t see anyone.

“Lance?” a groggy voice stopped him from getting up to leave. Lance looked down to see Keith blinking slowly as he tried to wake up.

Lance offered him a soft smile, “Hey there hotshot, how are you feeling?”

“Like shit,” Keith huffed. He groaned a little as he lifted his hand to his face, fingers brushed across the bandage. His eyebrows furrowed with confusion, “What happened?” he asked as he inspected the heart monitor clip on his finger.

Lance drew in a quick breath; he could feel tears welling up in his eyes. There were no words to describe how relieved he was to hear his friend’s voice but he was also terrified by the thought of Keith possibly losing his memory. “There was an accident, you’re in the hospital Keith,” Lance replied slowly and calmly so he didn’t scare Keith too much.

He watched as Keith’s face expressed even more confusion, he slowly mouthed the word ‘accident’ to himself as though he was trying to piece things together. Lance could only image the gears turning inside Keith’s head as he tried to remember that night. All of a sudden it clicked and Keith lurched forward, “Shiro!” almost immediately after crying out he hissed in pain and placed a hand on his rips.

Lance jumped forward to help Keith sit back, “hey be careful there! You’ll only make your injuries worse,” Lance, scolded him as he placed a gentle hand on his back and shoulder. Slowly easing Keith down onto the pillows lance told him, “Shiro’s fine, he’s right beside you. Matt and Pidge are here too okay.” Lance tucked Keith back into bed gently.

“I’m surprised they didn’t wake up because of you.” He muttered to himself. Once he was finished with the blankets, he moved to the end of the bed, “I’m going to get a nurse now so don’t move,” he gave Keith a pointed look and a stern finger wag before he left the room.

The nurse came in shortly after Lance returned which woke the other two up. They were overjoyed to see Keith awake. The nurse performed her standard check-up and questioning on Keith as she moved around the room making notes and adjustments on the machines attached to him. Once she was done, she told everyone to settle down because Keith needed to get some more rest. They all listened and went back to their seats. Although, instead of sleeping like the others Lance decided to step out and give Nyma a call to update her on the situation. He was not disappointed though when she didn’t answer, he understood that it was roughly 4:00 am, and she probably forgot to take her phone off vibrate.

A half an hour later Shiro woke up and Matt started crying again. Shiro apologized for making him worry, and they exchanged a small kiss before the nurse came back to run through the same procedure on Shiro that she did with Keith. Fifteen minutes late Hunk made is appearance baring peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. He was teary-eyed but way very relieved to see that everyone was okay. After Hunk gave both Shiro and Keith a soft hug, the group did as the nurse instructed earlier and let the two in bed settled back down enough to get some more rest.

Pidge, Lance and Hunk all stepped out for a few minutes later to find something to drink, leaving Matt asleep beside Shiro. Soon enough though, the three of them found themselves curled up together on the couch that they quietly dragged in for a small waiting area down the hall. Once again sleep came quickly.

~~~~~

Allura arrived around Eight AM to find Hunk and Pidge curled up on the couch while Lance was sat in the chair near the window. From where she stood by the door, it looked like he was playing on his phone with one hand while the other was resting on Keith’s. Allura remained quiet as she observed the scene from her spot, she thought it was cute and kind of Lance to be comforting Keith while he slept. She shifted her gaze from those two to the others, Matt was still sleeping hunched over the side of Shiro’s bed, and even though Allura couldn’t see his face, she knew that it was tears stained and tired like everyone else.

Finally, Lance took notice of the new presence in the room; he looked over when he heard the soft twinkle of Allura’s small globe-shaped keychain. She got it as a gift from her uncle when he returned from being overseas, it sounded like a tiny Chinese iron ball. Lance always loved its calming tone.

“Lura,” he said quietly. She looked at him briefly before turning her sights back to Shiro. Tears welled in her eyes as she walked over and readjusted the blanket that had to slip off Matt’s shoulders.

Allura sighed softly as she brushed her fingers through Matt’s hair. “Good morning Lance,” she replied as Lance made his way around the beds to stand next to her. Almost immediately she wrapped her arms tightly around Lance, and he gave her a comforting hug.

After the embrace, Lance led Allura into the hallway to explain the situation without waking everyone up again. They both cried together for a few minutes, but eventually, they were able to calm themselves down again. Allura decided to go back to the room and sit beside Keith for a little while Lance took the opportunity to call Nyma again.

The phone barely had time to finish the first ring before Nyma’s voice flooded the line, “Hey hun, how are you feeling? I’m sorry I didn’t hear your call earlier.”

Lance sighed. _God, it was nice to hear her voice_ he thought, “I’m better now that I know everyone is okay. I’ll explain more when I see you okay.”

“Okay. Were you able to get any sleep?”

“Yeah, just a little though, but my back is not happy,” He chuckled. Nyma laughed along with him, “Well our bed is waiting for you at home, and I can give you a relaxing massage later okay,” she said cheerfully.

Lance smiled at the thought, “perfect,” he said.

“Now, what time do you want me to stop by?” Nyma asked.

Lance was calmed by her soft but chipper tone. It reminded him that he needed to stay positive. He scratched his head trying to figure out the best time, “um well Allura just got here, and she mentioned that Coran would be here within the hour, so maybe 9:30 ish. That way I’m sure that everyone, well except for Shiro and Keith, will be awake.”

Nyma’s hum carried through the phone, “perfect that give me time to whip up a breakfast casserole something and I’ll bring some of that coffee that you and Pidge are always gushing about.” Lance could hear some shuffling on the other end of the line; he assumed she was getting up now to get things started.

“You’re the boom.com babe!” Lance said.

Laughter rang out, “so are you, hun! Love you, and I’ll see you soon.”

“Love you too,” Lance replied before hanging up. After that Lance chose to wander around the hospital for a bit. On his walk he found a chapel that was tucked away is an older quieter building, he also discovered a small indoor garden with a koi fish pond. He stayed there for a few minutes before heading back. As he navigated through the halls, Lance bumped into Coran. They talked about anything and everything, from Coran’s latest dig to some of Lance’s upcoming courses. It didn’t take them long reach the “Brogane” rooms.

Shortly after Coran, Nyma arrived bearing food and drinks. Everyone was very happy to see her and they all agreed to go sit in one of the hospital’s cafeterias to eat. That way it allowed the boys to get some rest in peace.


	3. You’re heading for disaster

After the first week, the brothers were able to piece together what happened with the help of the local police. When the group asked about who was driving, Shiro admitted to having an intense flashback while visiting an old friend in the next town over. The episode had left him exhausted, and as a result, Keith decided to drive that night. Unfortunately, both men couldn’t recall most of the accident after it happened. However, the police were able to fill in the gaps for them. In their report, they stated that the car was struck hard on the driver’s side; the force was strong enough to hurl the vehicle off the road, where it rolled into the deep roadside ditch. The police also noted that the driver of the other car had run the stop sign and was heavily intoxicated. After hearing the full report, it made sense to the brother why the medical staff had mentioned on numerous occasion that they were lucky to have survived the crash. 

It had been roughly three weeks since the accident when Dr. Gorvett finally released both Shiro and Keith from the hospital. Everyone was excited. Once the discharge papers were all signed arrangements were made to get the “Brogane’s” back to their shared apartment the next day. Matt said that he would stay over as often as he could while Hunk agreed to come over and help with meal preparation and other things when Matt was unavailable. Lance mentioned that he would be able to drive Keith to school and both of them around whenever they needed just as long as they gave him some gas money. Pidge, Allura and Coran also said that they would help in any way possible. 

Shiro was more than happy to accept his friends’ help, but Keith was a little reluctant at the thought of being stuck in a car with Lance every day. Although, since he could hardly walk, let alone ride his motorcycle, he agreed with his brother and took the help. 

Hunk had been the one to pick the brothers up from the hospital that day because Matt had been unexpectedly called into work for a bit. He didn’t mind at all because Hunk was prepared for anything to happen. 

“I have no doubt that both of you are sick and tired of shitty hospital food by now since they wouldn’t let me feed you,” Hunk grumbled the last part, “So I have taken the liberty of making you a homecoming meal!” Hunk cheered as he opened the door to Shiro and Keith’s apartment. 

“You have no idea how much I have missed real food, especially yours Hunk,” Keith commented as he slowly followed Shiro into their place. 

Hunk smiled as he set their stuff down by the living room entrance, “good because you’re in for a bit of a-” he flicked the living room lights on, and several people joined Hunk and yelled 

“Surprise!” 

Shiro and Keith stood in the doorway a little shocked by how many people were standing in their living room. There were streamer and balloons decorating the medium sized room. Stretched out across the back wall was a banner that read ‘Welcome Home!’ 

“Welcome home Shiro, Keith,” Sam Holt, Matt and Pidge’s father said as he moved toward them, “it’s good to have you back.” He squeezed both of their uninjured shoulders. 

“Thank you, Mr. Holt. It’s good to be back,” Shiro smiled. 

Matt quickly joined Shiro, “okay, now let’s get the food going! I’m starving!” Matt whined and with that, the festivities started.

A couple of hours later everyone started to head home for the night and soon to was just eight of them left. They were all enjoying the quieter company of each other. Shiro was sitting on the couch with Nori, his black cat, who was curled up on his lap. Keith was relaxing in the armchair that sat in the corner while Cinnamon, their orange tabby slept on the back. Pidge and Matt were playing a video game on the TV while Lance, Allura, Hunk and Coran slowly cleaned up. 

“Oh hey Shiro, I hope you don’t mind, but Matt gave us all a copy of your key so we could check on the cats and the plants,” Hunk said as he picked up the empty salsa bowl off the coffee table. 

Keith groaned from his seat, “even Lance? How is the place still here? How are the cats still here?”

"Hey! I’ll have you know that Cinna likes me the best!” Lance retorted as he walked back into the room and handed Shiro his coffee.

“He’s not wrong,” Pidge commented from her stop on the floor.

Matt nodded his head in agreement, “yeah she wouldn’t come out of hiding for anyone but Lance, even when I had her favourite treats!”

Lance smiled brightly at Matt’s comment. It was true, and he was proud of that. Lance remembers when Keith found Cinnamon at the shelter. She was scheduled to be put down by the end of the week because no one wanted a mean cat, but Keith would not stand for that! Just because Cinnamon was a little rough around the edges and a little feisty didn't mean that she should be done away with! Keith immediately put the money down and adopted her that day. Since then both have changed and become a little softer.

“Oh Keith,” Lance started, “I know you hate it when I go in your room, but I put this week’s class notes on your desk okay.” He waited for Keith to start yelling, but Keith just smiled at him. Oh, that’s odd; it must be the pain meds Lance thought because Keith hardly ever gives him that kind of a smile. He shrugged it off and walked back toward the kitchen to help Hunk. 

Keith let out a yawn and said, “Thanks Lance, I appreciate it.” He reached over the arm of the chair and grabbed his crutches, “Now I’m going to bed. I’ll see everyone tomorrow.” Everyone in the living room bid him goodnight as he slowly got up, it was a bit of a struggled, but he managed. A full leg cast and crutches had been difficult to deal with for the first little while, but Keith thought that he was getting much better with them. Well, that was until he got the main hallway of his apartment between the kitchen and the living room. One of his crutches slipped on a piece of a leftover streamer. Keith braced himself for the pain of hitting a cold hard floor, but it didn’t come. Instead, he hit something softer.

Keith looked up to see Lance smiling at him, “falling for me I see. Sorry but you’re a little out of luck there bud, I’m taken,” Lance chucked as Keith’s cheeks took on a red tint. 

“Get off me!” Keith demanded while pushing himself away from Lance, hitting him in the leg with his crutch for good measure. 

“Ouch! Hey, I was just kidding geez,” Lance said rubbing his abused shin. Keith huffed and turned away from him. “Hey, before you go to bed, I just wanted to let you know that I will pick you up for class tomorrow if you’re ready that is,” Lance scratched the back of his head awkwardly, “Just let me know okay.” 

“I will, thanks Lance,” Keith said as he made his way down the hall toward his room. He stopped and opened his bedroom door with little difficulty and flicked the light on,

“Good night Lance,” Keith called out as he stepped inside. He just heard Lance’s own goodnight as he shut the door. 

~~~~

Over the next few weeks, the group had noticed a shift in Keith and Lance’s friendship. That usual hard bickering had simmered down to a soft, light banter. Everyone was happy to see that they were finally getting along, especially Shiro. He knew that Keith had a hard time opening up to people, but he couldn’t be prouder of Keith to have found friends like Lance, Hunk and Pidge.   
For Shiro, one of the biggest indicators that the relationship between the two had changed happened when he overheard them working on some homework together. Shiro was going to ask them if they wanted anything from the store but stopped when he heard Keith groan in frustration. 

“I just don’t understand what’s going on!” papers were shuffled around, “Why can’t I remember how to do this, we did it last week!” 

“Keith, it’s okay. We can try the formula again,” Lance said calmly. Keith made another frustrated noise. 

Papers were crumpled, and a pencil was thrown, “this is stupid!” by the sound of his voice Shiro could tell that Keith was getting to his breaking point. He had seen Keith when he snapped, and he was a little nerve to hear Lance’s reaction. Shiro didn’t want Keith’s temper to mess with whatever was happening between them. 

Lance sighed, his chair creaked under him as he got up to pick up Keith’s pencil, “look, Keith, I know that you’re frustrated, but throwing stuff is not going to help the situation. You have a concussion remember, and I know that some things are a little harder to do right now because I’ve had one before. Math, computer work, and even art are sometimes difficult to process.” Lance set the writing utensil down on the desk. He fixed his papers as he continued lecture Keith, “You brain is injured, and just like any other injury you have to give it time to heal, and you can’t expect it to be at one-hundred percent in a couple of weeks,” He voice was stern. Keith huffed at him because he knew that Lance was right. 

“Now, we’re going to take a break, I’m going to get you something to drink with your pain meds. Ah, don’t try and tell me that you’re not hurting. I’m not dumb Keith, I can tell when you’re leg is bugging you.” That surprised both Keith and Shiro. Neither knew how observant Lance was when it came to his friends. 

At the sound of Lance moving toward the door, Shiro quickly hid in the bathroom which luckily was across the hall from Keith’s room. 

~~~~~

Shiro brought up the interaction one night when he and Matt had the apartment to themselves. Keith was spending the night at the Holt’s place with Pidge; they were watching some internet show about cryptids or something. Neither could remember the name of the show, they were just happy to finally have some time to themselves for a while. 

“Oh really,” Matt said shifting in his spot beside Shiro on the couch, “you know what, I remember hearing Lance make an offhand comment about how tired Keith looked the other day. Keith flat out admitted that he had not been sleeping well because of his leg and he even mentioned the nightmares he’s been having lately.” 

Shiro gave Matt a confused look, “Keith never mentioned any nightmares to me.” Shiro unwrapped his good arm from around Matt to pause the show they had been half-watching. This was the first time Shiro had heard about this, he was a little worried about his younger brother now. Why wouldn’t he come to me about these kinds of things? He thought. 

Matt set his hand gently on Shiro’s, “hey, I thought he told you about it,” Shiro shook his head, and Matt signed, “well when I confronted him about it he said that it was nothing to worry about. That Lance helped him through it.” Matt shrugged his shoulders. 

“I guess that works. I just wish he would talk to me too,” Shiro commented. They dropped the conversation after that. There was no need to talk about it anymore if Keith had Lance to help him. 

~~~~

Hunk nudged him with his knee as he set some snacks down on the coffee table. They would have annual pre-midterm hangout and movie night tonight, but Lance’s mind was everywhere else but where it should be. He groaned again as he rolled over to look at the food. It smelt heavenly. Lance slowly reached a hand across to grab a chip from the bowl, but it was swatted away quickly by Hunk. 

“Nope, not until you tell me what’s up with you.” Hunk demanded. 

“What do you mean?” Lance grumbled as he moved to sit up and give Hunk room on the couch. 

Hunk plopped down beside Lance and threw one arm over the back of the couch as he turned to face his friend. His face held a lot of concern as watched Lance play with his fingers. Hunk sighed, “You know what I mean. What’s got you feeling so down?” His voice was kind, “I thought you would be happy that you and Keith were finally getting along, you use to rant about how much you wanted to be his friend.” 

Lance dropped his hands, and then dragged one through his hair, “I am really happy that we are actually hanging out together now, but that’s not it… ” Lance let out a sigh, “I just really miss Nyma. We’ve both been so busy lately, so we haven’t had a lot of opportunities to just spend time together.” Lance didn’t always like to bring up problems that he was having in his relationship to Hunk, especially those dealing with spending time with Nyma in person because of Hunk’s long-distance relationship with his girlfriend Shay.

He knew that his friend missed Shay greatly, but both understood that her overseas internship was really important to her. They called each other at least twice a week, but that still didn’t make up for the fact that she was going to be away for one more year or the lack of physical affection. It had been hard on Hunk at first, but Lance could see that he was dealing with it much better now. That didn’t mean that Lance wanted to go on and go about Nyma long distance deliveries.

Hunk hummed as he thought about his reply, “I understand that,” Hunk tapped his finger against his chin in thought, “hey, when is Nyma’s next night off?” he asked with a snap of his fingers. 

“Uhh Friday, I think,” Lance said. 

“Perfect, I’ll make you guys a really nice dinner that morning so you can just reheat it later. That way you can have a nice night in and not have to worry about anything!” Hunk cheered. His eyes lit up in excitement, he loved taking time out of his schedule to cook for his friends. It helped him relax his mind after a stressful day going through his engineering courses. 

Lance sat up straight, “Hunk that’s perfect!” then he deflated, “just one problem though, I have to pick Keith up for his mixed martial arts club, I know it’s odd because he’s in a full leg cast, but he helps supervise.” Lance crossed his arms and slouched back into the couch again. He would love to have a nice fancy at home dinner with Nyma, but he had other responsibilities. 

Hunk bumped Lance’s shoulder gently with his fist, “hey, don’t worry about that okay, I’ll pick him up!” 

“Really? Thank you Hunk! You’re the best!” Lance shouted as he launched himself at his best friend. Hunk laughed and they hugged for a minute before pulling apart. 

Hunk picked up the remote and turned on the TV, “now let’s get this B-rated movie marathon start!” 

Lance cheered as they sifted through the selection to find their first one. 

~~~~~

The dinner with Nyma came and went and everything was a success. Both she and Lance enjoyed the great food that Hunk provided, and they were able to have a nice relaxing night and a calm long weekend. Lance couldn’t have been happier, and he gushed about it for several days after. Although the happy bliss didn’t last for much longer, as the stress of midterms closing in faster and faster. Soon enough, Lance and Nyma were back to their usual busy routines.

As Lance drove Keith home from a club meeting one night, he told him about this conversation that he had witnessed on the other side of the university’s cafeteria. “Now I have no idea what the guy was saying, but it must have been on intense topic! He was moving his hands like crazy!” Lance chuckled, “He could have been talking about boats or demonic possession, but it was fun watching his hand flail around.” 

Keith laughed along with him, then told him about the time he witnessed Matt and Shiro arguing in just hand sighs because Matt lost his voice while he was sick a little while ago. Some of the stories were lost in Keith’s laughter, but Lance didn’t mind. It was good to hear Keith laugh so much because Lance knew that he was a fair amount of pain today. Lance smiled as Keith re-enacted some the fight. 

Soon enough though, a sharp pain in his chest cut off Lance’s laugh. Keith thankfully didn’t notice his silence as he continued with the story. Lance put a hand on his chest as the pain subsided. It had happened a few times already over the past week, but Lance hadn’t really given it any thought. He just assumed it was the combination of the cooler weather moving in and the stress of class assignments. He didn’t think any more of it as he pulled into Keith’s apartment driveway. 

Once Keith was safely in his house Lance said his goodbyes and got back in his car. He thought about how their conversation made the drive seem faster than usual and more enjoyable too. Lance let out a tired sigh as he shifted the car into reverse, and pulled out of the driveway, then sped off toward his place. The only thing he could think about the whole way there was how quiet his apartment was going to be because Nyma was out on a long haul delivery again. She had been picking up a lot more of them lately he understood that she needed the money, but it would be nice to have her at home a little more. 

Another wave a pain bloomed in his chest as he turned the volume up on the stereo to drown out his thoughts and fill the silence left behind by Keith.


	4. You’re the victim of your crime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the slow update, I had a lot going on the past week or so. I'm hoping to be done this story before school starts next week so I have a lot of writing ahead of me!   
> Please leave comments to let me know how you're liking the story so far and kudos are really nice too! Thank you!

The chest pains never stopped liked Lance had hoped. No, they only got worse and it was getting harder for Lance to hide them. First, they started out as just a small pang or a pinch but after a week of that, they become sharper like a stabbing and more frequently. Lance didn’t want to say anything to his friend, they all enough stuff to worry about with school and work. 

Hunk had been the first friend to notice even though had Lance had been trying his hardest his discomfort. They were over the “Brogane’s” place helping to clean up after a study session, Lance and Hunk were in the kitchen washing and drying dishes when Lance was hit with one of sharpest chest pains he’s had. 

Lance put the plate that he was drying down as he hunched over the counter. Clutching his chest with one had Lance held his breath as the pain spread up his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut and gripped the counter hard enough his knuckles turned white. Soon he felt a gentle hand on his back. 

“Lance, are you okay buddy?” Hunk asked. His was laced heavily with concern, he hasn’t seen Lance in this much pain since he had bronchitis a few years back. Hunk rubbed

Lance’s back trying to ease the pain.   
Lance groaned as the sharp stabbing dissipated into dull pins and needles. He blinked a few times and rubbed his chest in an attempt to get rid of any tightness. Taking a few slow deep breaths Lance stood back up. 

“Lance?” 

“I’m,” his voice sounded strained so he cleared his throat, “I’m fine. It’s nothing,” Lance replied not looking at Hunk. He could tell just be the sound of his voice that Hunk was worried and he didn’t want to make it any worse by telling him just how bad the pain actually was. Lance could remember how worked up Hunk had been the last time he came down with some. He acted like three worried mothers at once, it was crazy, and Lance was not allowed to do anything for two weeks! He had to stay in bed all day, no video games, no friends, no moving around, needless to say, Lance was bored out of his mind the whole time and he did not want to go through that again. 

Hunk moved his hand off Lance’s back, “that didn’t look like nothing. Are you sure?” he went back to washing the remaining dishes after Lance insisted that he was just fine. Although Hunk didn’t believe him for a second. He vowed to himself to keep a close eye on his best friend just in case. 

~~~~ 

Lance worked at a small café in town. It was a nice quiet place that didn’t get a crazy

amount a traffic, but that is what a place so nice. During the school year, some of the tables would be filled with students studying or working on essays or just taking time to relax a little.

The owners kept the café’s classy and comfortable, there were a few small tables and booths in one section and in the other room there were larger study tables. The walls were painted a soft pastel green, the tables were either a beautiful dark wood or a crisp white. Hanging plants were in almost every window while succulents and crystals were scattered around the shop. The menu was fun and unique, it included some mainstream options as well as some “hipster” options too. 

Aside from the good food and nice atmosphere Lance liked his job. The people that come in were always interesting and his co-workers had some of the best campus gossip. Romelle was the queen of gossip. Lance had no idea where she got her information but it was usually right. 

“Hey, Lance did you hear that Zethrid and Ezor are dating now?” Romelle asked as she cleaned up one of the tables near the till. 

Lance rang through his customer’s order first before looking over at his blonde haired friend, “uh, no, when did that happen?” Lance set out to make the drink that was just ordered while Romelle gabbed on about the new couple. She finally stopped when Lance interrupted her to let her know that he was going to clean up the last of the dishes on the tables. He was thankful that it was closing time and he could relax a little. It had been a busy day and Lance just wanted to go home and cuddle with Nyma, Lance even made sure to get his work done during his break so that he maximized his cuddle time! 

As Lance cleared off one of the booths by the window a flash of red caught his eye. He thought for a second that it was Keith, and he was confused as to how/why he was out so late without Shiro, but upon closer inspection, it was just a random person in a red coat. Lance frown as he picked up the mugs and quickly wiped the table down. _‘It would have been nice to see Keith out and about’_ Lance thought. He pushed that thought away as he moved on to the next table. Although he never got there, another intense sharp pain shot through his chest and up his neck. The pain came so quickly that Lance dropped the two mugs he was holding, the smashed on impact with the ground and Lance almost dropped to his knees clutching his chest. 

Romelle ran out of the storage room at the sound of the mugs breaking, she found Lance practically curled into himself balancing on the balls of his feet. “Lance! Lance!” she called out as she rushed to his side, “Are you okay?” she asked placing a gentle hand on his back. Lance raised his head enough for Romelle to see that tears were forming in the corner of his eyes. “Did you cut yourself?” Romelle’s voice was soft, He shook his head _‘No’_ and took in a ragged breath. 

The pain was finally subsiding enough for Lance to allow Romelle to help him into the booth beside them. She knelt down in front of Lance as he was hunched over trying to catch his breath she gently rubbed his free hand as the waiting the pain out. It took a few minutes before Lance could breathe normally again. Lance coughed a couple of time and tried to clear his throat but his mouth was extremely dry. Thankfully Romelle noticed and left to get him a glass of water. 

When she came back, Lance was rubbing his sore chest and he looked worried. He gave Romelle a soft smile when she handed him the glass, “You know, those pains look like they’re getting worse,” she said as she swept up the broken mugs. 

Lance took a gulp of water before talking again, “I know, they’re not usually that bad though. I try to keep some pain meds on me just in case.” He took another drink. 

Romelle sighed, “Lance you should get that checked. What if it’s something serious?” she put on hand on her hip and pointed the small dustpan broom at him. “I don’t want to see you sick! You’re my favourite person to work with, if you’re down for the count I’ll be stuck with James and he’s annoying!” Romelle whined. 

“Okay, okay. I’ll go as soon as I get the money for the medication that I know I’m going to get. Till then I’ll be more careful with the dishes,” Lance replied as he stood up, he stretched his arms above his head then brought them down to massage his chest again. He followed Romelle back to the counter to put his glass in the dishwasher 

“Good, I don’t want to clean up any more off the ground,” Romelle said as she dumped the smashed pieces in the recycling bin. She put the broom back in the storage room and come back to find that Lance was back cleaning off the tables. “Hey Lance,” Romelle called out. 

“Yeah?” 

“Why don’t you go home early okay,” Romelle suggested. 

Lanced turned to look at Romelle, who was adding up the tills, “Are you sure?” Lance questioned. Romelle shrugged her shoulders 

“Yeah, why not, everything is pretty much done here. Also, I want you in tip-top shape so I don’t have to work with James!” She gave Lance a sharp look. 

Lance dropped the cloth he had been using to clean the tables in the laundry basket by the sink. That was another thing that he liked about the café, they used cloth napkins instead of paper ones, just one way they help to save the environment. “Okay, I’ll head home now. Thank you Romelle, let me know how I can repay you.” She just laughed and he gave her a salute as he walked off to the back to collect his things. 

The drive home wasn’t bad. The radio was playing softer music which was nice because Lance was starting to get a headache. He knew that he needed to get his chest pain looked at but he just didn’t have the time right now to do that, with school work piling up, his job, helping out the ‘Broganes’ and making time for Nyma was tiring. Lance didn’t want to reduce his hours at work and he knew that the brother’s needed his help, plus Nyma seemed to be busier lately. 

Lance’s chest ached as he walked into his apartment. It was mostly dark and quiet which was strange because Lance was pretty sure that Nyma had the night off. He kicked off his shoes and made his way to the kitchen to put his lunch dishes away, he was able to wash them at work. Once in the kitchen, Lance spotted a note on the fridge. He read it over with a frown, _I guess that’s means Nyma got called in then_. Lance sighed and took his dinner out of the fridge like the note said. Lance ate alone then went to bed. 

~~~~

That routine went on for days, every time Lance came home Nyma would be gone or leaving soon. It drove him crazy. All he wanted was to hang out and relax with his girlfriend, _was that too much to ask for?_ Instead, Lance was stuck at home alone doing his coursework or playing video games, anything really to pass the time. Lance voiced his concerts to Hunk about Nyma being gone so often and Hunk did the best that he could to settle his best friend’s worries but it was still a sore spot. Keith had even tried telling Lance that things would be just fine, business just picked up for Nyma because of the time of year, that’s. Everything would go back to normal soon. No matter what kind of advice his friend gives him Lance still couldn’t shake his concerns. He needed to talk Nyma and he did just that. 

Lance made sure to check Nyma’s work schedule before switching shifts with James, to get an earlier time slot. After work was over Lance bee-lined home, he knew that Nyma had done a morning run so she was going to be at the house just after he got there. Once Lance was in the house he put all of his stuff away, changed clothes and sat in the kitchen with a cup of tea to calm his nerves. He hated having to confront people about things that were bothering him but he needed to know what was going on. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, opening and closing his hands a couple of times Lance could feel his nervous jitters slowly dissipate.

“Why am I so nervous to talk to her about this…? I ranted about it with Hunk and Keith yesterday!” Lance mumbled to himself. He was staring intensely at the bottom of his empty cup when the sound keys against the front door broke the silence. Lance took another deep breath and got up to put his cup in the sink while Nyma made her way inside. 

Lance had just turned away from the sink when Nyma walked into the kitchen, “Oh Lance!” She said startled, her hand covering her heart, “Geez you surprised me, hun, I didn’t think you were going to be home yet.” She took a breath and walked toward him. 

“I switched shifts with James,” Lance said as Nyma put her lunch bag on the counter. She smiled at him then throw her arms around his neck.   
“Perfect, we have some time to hang out,” She kissed his cheek, “We don’t get to do that as much anymore,” Nyma was pouting now as she played with the hair that curled at the back of Lance’s neck. 

Lance signed and gently grabbed Nyma’s hands, he kissed one ad he brought them down in front of them, "yeah, I know, I want to talk about that actually.” He led them over to the kitchen table where they sat down across from each other. 

“Okay, so what do you want to talk about exactly?” Nyma asked politely. 

Lance fidgeted with the sleeve of his green sweater for a second before answering, “Look, I know that we have been picking up more shits lately and I’m just a little concerned about why. Is everything okay?” 

Nyma raised an eyebrow, “yeah everything is fine. The boss just fired someone so I have been covering some of their old shifts too.” 

“Oh ok, well that sucks,” Lance said. 

Nyma got up from the table to make herself a cup of coffee, “Yeah, it does put it will be over soon. I know that they are looking to hire someone.” She said as she flicked the kettle on and scooped out a teaspoon of instant coffee into her waiting mug. 

“Why didn’t you tell me about it then?” 

Nyma put two scoops of sugar in her mug before turning to face Lance, “I didn’t think it was a problem because you were out with Keith so much,” She said with a bitter tone.   
Lance was taken aback by her tone, “do you have a problem with Keith or something?” he asked. 

“If we’re being honest here, yes, yes I do. There is just something about him that bothers me.” Nyma moved to grab that milk from the fridge then poured some into her mug and put it right back. “I don’t like you hanging out with him so much, he’s a bad influence.” 

“Pardon?” Lance snapped, “What is that supposed to mean?” 

“It means exactly what I said, I don’t like you hanging out with him and that’s all that you have been doing lately,” Nyma replied with a sharp voice and took a drink of her coffee. 

Lance stood up, “I have been helping him recover from a car accident Nyma, he’s my friend and I’m not going to let him do that on his own.” 

Nyma’s temper was starting to flare, “He has other friends you know!”   
Lance didn’t like that way that Nyma was talking about his friend and he didn’t want to hear any more of it, “This conversation was not supposed to be about Keith, it was supposed to be about why you were working so much and not telling me about it. I was started to get worried!” 

“Oh worried about what Lance! I’m surprised that you even had time to worry about me when you’re off with Keith!” She snapped back. 

“I was only out with Keith so much because you’re never home anymore! I was worried that you were in some sort of financial trouble, I was about to apply for a second job just to help you out!” Lance barked at her. His throat was starting to hurt more and more, he knew he shouldn’t be yelling at Nyma but Lance was just so frustrated at her, “My mind even started to jump to the worst case scenarios because you were gone so

often!”   
Oh, that was not the smarter thing to say, and Lance knew that as soon as it left his mouth. Lance could see Nyma’s temper just rising and rising as she gave him the worst death glare he had ever seen. 

Nyma slammed her coffee cup down on the counter, “are you accusing me of cheating on you?” Her voice was laced with such a bitter taste it was almost unbearable, “really Lance, how long have we been together and you think that I’m being unfaithful! _Really!_ Well, I could be thinking the same thing about you right now! Is Keith more important than me? Because you sure as shit make it seem like that!” Nyma yelled at him.

Lance tried to reply, to tell her that she was wrong, that Keith wasn’t important, she was. But he couldn’t because she stormed off before he had the chance. “I’m done with this. I’m going to a friend’s place for the night, maybe by the morning you’ll have a good apology ready.” Nyma shouted at him from the front hallway then the door slammed shut. 

Lance stood there in the kitchen stunned by what just happened. He only wanted to know why Nyma was working so much, he didn’t want to have a full-blown argument with her. Tears started to well up in his eyes, oh what had he done. He had accused her of cheating! Nyma would never do something like that! Lance sank into the kitchen chair and hung his head. Lance cried for about fifteen minutes before he tried calling Hunk. He needed to hear his best friend’s voice of reason, he should have listened to Hunk’s advice and waiting for Nyma to tell him what was going on. 

The phone rang several times before cutting for voice mail all three times that Lance called Hunk. Lance sniffled a bit as he thought about who to call next. If Hunk was busy the usually meant that Pidge was too, it was Shiro and Matt’s weekly date night so they were out of the question and Allura was out of the country for the week, which only left Lance one person left that he could call. Keith. Even though most of the argument had been about Keith, Lance didn’t want to sit with his thoughts alone so he weighed his option and quickly dialled Keith’s number. 

Lance wasn’t surprised when no one picked up on the first ring but he was when the second ring didn’t have a chance to start before the line was picked up. 

“Hello?” Keith’s voice was a little groggy which made Lance look over the stove, the harsh red numbers read _10:30_. He didn’t realize it was that late or that Keith had gone to bed that early, he usually stayed up until midnight. “Lance?” Keith said with some confusion. 

Lance cleared his sore throat, “hey Keith I didn’t realize you were sleeping. Sorry… Umm, I can call back tomorrow. Good night.” He was about to hang up when Keith’s voice stopped him. 

“Hey wait, why did you call?” 

“Oh uh, it was nothing,” Lance sniffled a little, just hearing Keith’s voice made the argument with Nyma replay in his head again, “don’t worry about it.” He coughed a little into his hand. 

The line crackled with the sounds of movement as Keith shifted his position, “look, Lance, I know that’s I’m not the best with people and emotions but I can tell that something is on your mind. You wouldn’t have called me of all people if there wasn’t.” Keith was right and Lance knew it, he called to get stuff out of his head not to just hang- up without talking. “So what’s up?” Keith asked.

Lance sighed and wiped the small tear that was rolling down his cheek, “I had a fight with Nyma.” After Lance heard Keith hum in acknowledgement he went off. He told Keith everything. What Nyma said and what he said in return, how he had been feeling about the whole thing, and about how hurt he was that she didn’t want to tell him.

“I accused her of cheating Keith!” Lance cried, “What kind of boyfriend am I?” Lance was now full on crying by this point. The phone sat on the kitchen table on speaker, his hands were shaking too much to hold it anymore. Lance wiped more tears away as Keith tried to calm me down. 

“You didn’t _accuse her_ Lance, Nyma brought that up on her own. You only said _worst case scenario_ , that doesn’t have to mean cheating. That could mean drugs or illegal activities or something.” Keith was trying his best to help Lance but he was so lost. He had no idea what to say or what Lance needed to hear from him.  Keith just hated hearing Lance cry so much over an argument that was full of misunderstandings. Both were at fault for things but that’s doesn’t change what happened. Although Keith most certainly did not like what Nyma had to say about him. Yeah, sure they didn’t get along the best but that was just rude, Lance had been a god sent to Keith for the past month and a half there was no way that Keith was going to do anything bad to Lance. Also, Lance made his own poor choice by himself, he didn’t need Keith to be there to do that, so how was he a bad influence on Lance.

Lance sniffled, “yeah I guess you’re right.” He let out a sigh, “Thank Keith.” Lance grabbed a tissue and quickly blew his nose. Talking to Keith really did help to calm him down, even though he was not always the best with words he knew how to just listen and make small comments. No matter what Nyma said Lance did not believe that Keith was a bad influence, yes he did some pretty stupid things because of Keith but that didn’t mean anything, Keith was a good friend and someone that Lance looked up to. 

Keith shifted again as he tried to find a comfortable position on his bed. They had been talking for almost an hour and a half before Lance had finally calmed down enough to start joking around. It was a relief to Keith to finally hear him laugh after crying to some much. They had finally gotten on to the more fun topic of _“what kind of stupid things has my cat done recently”_ Lance was in the middle of telling Keith about how Indigo or Indi for short, got herself stuck in the bathroom cupboard and scared Lance in the middle of the night. They’re shared laughter was cut off by the sound of Lance coughing. It was a deep and wet cough too. 

“Hey, Lance are you okay? That doesn’t sound good.” Keith said with a lot of concern.   
Lance coughed a little more before he could catch his breath, “yeah, I’m okay.” He voice was very raspy, “it’s just a cold or something. I’ve had a sore throat for about a week now.” Keith heard the water running in the background as Lance got himself a drink. 

“Maybe you should get that checked out buddy,” Keith suggested 

“Awe are you worried about me Mullethead,” Lance said with a playful tone. He took another sip of his water to ease the burning in his throat. 

“Yes, I am. That cough sounds awful and I don’t want you to be sick,” Keith said. “You’re grouchy when you’re sick and you my ride.” He muttered. 

Lance laugh- coughed at that. Keith was right about that. Lance hated being sick and he was most certainly grumpy when he was. “Okay, okay, don’t worry your pretty little mullet off I’ll go get it checked out,” Lance glanced over at the stove clock, “now it’s getting late so I should let you go. Thank you for letting me basically cry on your shoulder over the phone.” 

“It was no problem, Lance,” Keith said through a yawn, “you’re my friend and I’d do anything to repay the help you’ve been giving me these last few months.” Both smiled at the comment. 

Lance hummed softly as he got up from the kitchen table and stretched a little, “Well goodnight Keith. Sleep well.” 

“Yeah you too, see ya tomorrow,” Keith replied before hanging up. 

Once his phone beeped Lance put it in his pocket. He quickly cleaned up the mess in the kitchen, dumping out Nyma’s cold coffee in the sink he thought about what Keith had said. He was right, she did jump to conclusions but so did he so an apology was needed on both side. Although Lance knew that he had to be the first one or Nyma wouldn’t do it. 

After Lance put everything in the dishwasher and wiped the counters and table down he went to his room to get changed. As he was brushing his teeth Lance thought more about his conversation with Keith, he noticed that a sleepy Keith was a lot nicer and very honest. He liked that and wish that normal, wide awake Keith could be more like that. They had a good ‘bonding moment’ as Keith would call them. Lance smiled gently at the thought as he finished brushing his teeth. 

As soon as he put his toothbrush away he started coughing again, only it was more painful than earlier. Lance hunched over the bathroom sink as he tried to catch his breath but he could not stop. It felt like he was hacking up a lung and it was painful, Lance instantly regretted not going to the clinic when it was just a sore throat now. Something wet passed through his fingers that cover his mouth. Lance thought it might be phlegm but when he went rinse off his hand he was shocked to see blood. 

He stared at his hand in horror of a couple of lseconds before another coughing fit started up. This time it felt like he was choking on something as the awful metallic taste of iron flooded his mouth. Lance spit up whenever was blocking and irritating his throat into the sink. The white porcelain of the sink was now painted with speckles of red blood and the small discoloured petals of a lilac. The blood Lance could understand, that was something that was inside of the human body but flower petals were not and that terrified him. 


	5. Every way I go I'm bound to lose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey peeps! I am so sorry that this chapter took so long. To be honest this isn't even the whole chapter... I haven't finished the rest yet but this was a good place to stop. I hope you like this. I'm sorry but the updates for this story are going to be slow. School started and I have a lot of assignments and research to do, but I will not let this story go! SO thank you for those who are supporting this, from the beginning and for those who are just tuning in!   
> Please let me know what you think, or if you have any ideas!

After Lance slowly and meticulously cleaned the bathroom of any and all evidence of the blood and the flowers he went to his room. He wanted to pass the whole things off as an odd coincidence but it just didn’t make sense, there was no way that flowers could be inside his body! Lance was pretty sure he would have remembered eating edible petal or something so how did lilacs –which are not in season at the moment- end up in his throat.   


With that in mind, Lance went to work trying to figure out what the mysterious flowers meant. He knew that consulting google for medical advice was probably the worst thing he could do at the moment but he had no other choice. It was way too late to call a real doctor or his mother and he did not want to go to the emergency room. While Lance waited for his computer to start up he made himself a cup of herbal tea and took some pain meds to numb the soreness of his throat.   


Lance started his search with the most obvious and pressing question, _what causes a person to cough up flowers?_   A couple of sources popped up and Lance sifted through them all to find the most credible one. Clicking on the one labelled “insta-med” or something. As he browsed through the site he couldn’t help but think the whole thing was fake. Flowers growing in people’s lungs because of unrequited love. That sounds like a load of shit! That sounds like something from a fairy tale or fiction.    


Although the most and more Lance read about the condition called Hanahaki Disease he was slowly becoming more convinced that it was a real thing. A symptom stood out to him, “people with an enlarged heart are the only ones at risk of developing Hanahaki Disease. Doctors and Scientist are not sure what the connection is but historical records and religious orders believe it lies with the idea that these people have more love to give and therefore are more likely to love wholehearted” Lance read aloud, “Well that doesn’t make sense. I don’t have an enlarged heart. That doctors or my parents would have told me,” he muttered. He continued reading through all the symptoms and making a mental checklist of everything that he had been experiencing over the past few months, chest pains, trouble breathing, coughing fits etc. and finally the flowers. Lance had almost all of them!   


His hands were starting to shake as he went over the section of causes, “Unrequited love, is the only cause of Hanahaki Disease. When a person loves someone who does not love them in return or in the same intensity, Hanahaki Disease will start to set in.” Lance’s voice cracked a little as he read those sentences over and over again. _Does this mean that Nyma doesn’t love me anymore?_ A new batch of tear spilled over his cheeks at the thought dawned on him, all his trouble started when Nyma picked up more shifts because he wasn’t home. She was lonely and he wasn’t there for her! It was all his fault!   


Lance checked the clock on his phone, it read 2:30 am. He sniffled and wiped his tears away before picking the device up, unlocking it and dialling an all too familiar number. His mom, Maria.  He didn’t care that it was six in the morning where she was he just needed to hear her voice. The phone rang a couple of time before someone finally answered.   


“Lance honey, is everything okay?” her voice was tired sounding but also filled heavily with concern. Lance broke down again at the sound of her voice. The only thing Mrs. McClain could do at the moment was to offer comforting words. “Shh, Lance Honey, it’s okay. Everything is okay, I’m here,” Slowly his sods turned into hiccups and sniffles. “Tell me what’s wrong, sweetie,” her tone was soft and gentle.   


Lance took in a shaky breath, “Mumma, I think I’m dying.” He cried.   


“What do you mean? Is everything okay?” She was confused, it was not uncommon for her son to be a little over dramatic but he would never call her at six in the morning just for a small problem, something was wrong, something big. She sat down on the couch beside the phone’s charging base.   


“You-you didn’t tell that I have an enlarged heart.” Lance hiccupped, “I think I have Hanahaki Disease mom. What do I do?”   


His mother took a sharp It was getting harder to understand what he was saying but she heard enough, “oh no. Lance Honey,” now her voice was starting to shake. She never imaged that something like thing would to her son. “Are you sure you’re not just sick with a cold? Hanahaki Disease is not something to joke about…” Maria asked hoping that Lance was just being overdramatic. More sobs filtered through the line as Lance cried again. It broke Maria’s heart to hear her son is such distress. She wished that he never moved away but she knew he wanted to go to that university. There was so stopping Lance when he put his mind to something.   


Lance hiccupped a few times trying to get the words out, “ye-yes Mumma. I know I don’t have a cold.” He whined and sniffled again, “I have… I have… the flowers…” he confessed through shuddered breathing. “Why didn’t you tell me about my heart? Why didn’t you tell me that I could have flowers growing in my lungs! Mom why didn’t you tell me!” Lance's voice trembled with anger and sadness. He was upset that his parents never said anything but he was also upset because this whole thing meant that Nyma didn’t love him anymore.   


“Oh Lance, sweetie, I’m sorry,” his mother cried, “I know I should have told you but I was scared. You were such a happy lovely child I didn’t want to lose that. I didn’t want you to stop loving people.” She was weeping now. Maria felt awful about it, she knew that she should have said something but didn’t and know her son was sick. She desperately wanted to hug Lance, to cradle him and make the pain go away but there was nothing she could do when she was in a different time zone. “I’m so sorry,” She whispered through her tears.   


The sound of his mom openly crying made Lance realize how mean his last statement was. Lance understood where she was coming from, no one wants their child to be afraid of love. “Oh mom, I’m sorry. Please don’t cry. I’ll fix this okay. I just have to show them that I still love them.”   


“Are you talking about Nyma?”   


Lance took a deep breath, he was starting to calm down now, “Yes. After Keith and Shiro’s accident things have been a little rough between me and Nyma. We’ve been so busy that we forgot to show each other how much was care for the other.” Lance wiped the remaining tears from his eyes, “We had a fight earlier then the flowers appeared later.”   


“Oh sweetie, I’m so sorry,” Maria said.   


Not wanting to upset her anymore Lance figured it would be better to put on a brave face, “it’s okay mum. I’m going to apologize to Nyma and take her out on the best date ever. I have to remind her that no matter what is happening in our lives that I love her to the moon and back.” Lance heard his mom sniffle a little and it broke his heart. He softened his tone, “I’ll be okay mom. I’m sorry I may have overreacted.”   


Maria let out a breath, “Are you sure? I can get a plane ticket today and be there by the middle of the week. Lance honey, please, are you sure you’re going to be okay?” At the drop of a hat, Maria would buy a ticket and be there for her son. It didn’t matter what hoops she had to jump through, she would be there.  Maria loved her children to no end but Lance was the baby of the family. He was the last to leave home but the first to make a big move.   


Lance cleared his throat and took a calming breath, “yeah mom, I’m sure. Everything will be okay.” He reassured her a few more times before Maria has calmed down enough to say their goodbyes. It was nice to hear his mother voice even though the circumstances were not the best.   


As Lance went to sleep thinking about what the perfect make-up date would look like he forgot to read one of the most important facts of Hanahaki Disease.   


_Scientists have noted that if a person develops Hanahaki Disease while in a committed relationship is not because their partner has fallen out of love with them but because the patient has fallen in love with someone else._   



	6. Author's Note

Uh. Hey guys! I am still working on this story I swear! I just had a hard semester at university and stuff... Anyway! I have made a playlist to go along with the story! I hope you enjoy it. I tried to put in some kind of order that would match the storyline a little but I was having some trouble picking songs, so if you have any song suggestions please let me know! 

https://open.spotify.com/user/tyshirt/playlist/7x2DXdW2U4M58uA6s7owL2?si=WB9WpoqQSuyXJdK64P9DHA 

Oh, I'm also editing all previously posted chapters and making some small changes too! So don't mind me!


End file.
